Another controversial move by Uttar Pradesh’s Darul Uloom Deoband has surfaced, where the Muslim body has issued fatwa against some burqa-clad women who were seen participating in Ram Aarti on Diwali in Varanasi. The Islamic body denounced and expelled the women from Islam saying that these women by participating in Ram Aarti violated the basic principle of Shariat (Islamic Law). According to this body, the women worshiped another God than Allah, which is not permitted by the Holy Quran. Mohammad Shafiq Khan, Ulema, Darul Uloom told ANI, “If a Muslim worships any God except Allah they don’t remain Muslims. Therefore Islam dismisses such people.”

Mohd. Shafiq Khan was also reported saying that in Islam people worship only one deity irrespective of the gender. Till the time a Muslim continues to worship one God he remains a Muslim violating which, he ceases to become one. The same organisation had issued a fatwa earlier, prohibiting Muslim men and women from posting their or their families’ photographs on social media. This fatwa was issued by the fatwa department of the Darul Uloom Deoband after a man approached it recently, asking if posting photos on social media sites were allowed in the religion.

Earlier, President of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), Mufti Rais Ashraf had commented on the issue of Muslim actors praying to a God other than Allah, in their films. The clergy had shunned such actors and said that actors following Islam should not offer ‘pooja’ even if it is a part of their act in the film, as a “Muslim cannot worship anyone other than Allah”. Darul Uloom Deoband had earlier issued a fatwa against Muslim women going to beauty parlors for personal grooming. According to reports, the diktat forbids women to cut their hair and groom their eyebrows.

The diktat against women going to the parlor for personal grooming received strong condemnation on social media. However, there was a group that even supported the move by the Muslim body and said that the diktat should have been issued long ago.